A Future Full of Secrets (A 39 Clues One-Shot)
by Hannah Keona
Summary: Ian Kabra has miraculously traveled ahead in time, ending up entangled in the confusion of the future. But, he also finds out a long kept secret that will affect him forever. A secret that has been kept for years, and he has finally found out. (Set after Day of Doom).


**A/N**

Hello! This is my first 39 Clues fanfiction post! I originally wrote this One-Shot for a Story Contest I entered, but I guess I wanted to share it with other people. Oh, and there are DAY OF DOOM SPOILERS contained here! Please do not read if you haven't read Day of Doom! I hope you all like it! Read and review if you do!

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Well, this was interesting. In a shocking and rather improbable turn of events, Ian Kabra was now looking at…well,_ Ian Kabra_. At least, Ian was estimating that the figure in front of him was himself. But he was different. The other Ian was older, about in the early twenties, and taller. _"And still as handsome as ever,"_ Ian thought to himself. But there was something rather ethereal about it, and Ian was about to investigate.

The truth was, Ian had been transported to the future. He could guess that much, even under the weird circumstances. And he was in Attleboro, for sure, since he recognized Amy and Dan's mansion. The older Ian was there too, but for reasons the younger Ian didn't understand, the old one was stepping into Amy and Dan's huge house. Ian didn't have much time to spare. He didn't have time to think about why or how he did it, but he had to find out what was going on.

He ducked into the entrance of the mansion right after his older-self was welcomed in by a glowing Amy. She was smiling from ear to ear to see the older Ian, and she gave him a quick, friendly hug. But Ian was sure that if she saw him-a person time-traveling from the past-she wouldn't be so receptive. He crept as quickly as he could away from the old Ian and Amy, shielding himself behind a particularly large leaf of a potted plant near the entrance.

"Oh Ian, it's been so long since we've seen you!" the older Amy was saying, and she had the same signature Amy-type-smile that the sixteen-year-old one did back in Ian's time period. She looked about as old as Ian did, but had the same sparkling features the young Amy did. Her jade green eyes were practically glowing at the sight of the older Ian. She welcomed him in, and he thanked her.

_"Well, I guess I had better see what this is about,"_ Ian thought, and watched the other Ian walk away with Amy. He had a tiny debate within himself to decide whether he she follow the adults. One half of him was eager to find out what had happened since the teenagers had basically "saved the world". If Amy and Ian were fine and alive in the future, did that mean everyone else was? What about Dan? Their former Au Pair, Nellie, or their uncle Fiske Cahill? Were they around? Or even the Holts, Starlings, or Wizards? Ian caught himself when he thought of all these people. He knew one person who wasn't here.

Natalie. Natalie wasn't here. Ian tried hard to make himself forget that Natalie wouldn't be here in the future, even if everyone else was. Ian had missed Natalie so much since her passing. The younger girl had had so much to live for. And then it had all gotten swept away, Natalie's future along with it. Ian tried to keep himself from shedding any tears, since he knew he was all alone now. He tried to forget it.

_"I think I had better get a move on_," Ian thought to himself again, trying very much to forget his lost family and focus on the task at hand. He did so to urge himself to forget for a little while the hurt he was carrying inside. It helped a little, and when he snapped out of his reverie, he noticed that he was all alone in the Cahill's front entrance. He quickly bolted up from his hiding place, looked to where he had last seen the adult Amy and Ian, and follow their trail. He heard a faint trail of conversation floating up from where the adults were heading, and Ian decided to follow that.

"Hey, Dan!" Ian heard Amy yell. "Ian's here!" Apparently Dan was upstairs, because Ian heard a noise like a thousand elephants barreling across the African plain from above him. And normally elephants don't even _barrel_. A college-aged Dan Cahill raced down to meet the old Ian, along with him was an equally college-aged Atticus. He looked as energetic as ever.

_"Even in college?"_ thought Ian in obvious sarcasm in reaction to Dan's unchanging demeanor. It was the same old Dan, all right.

"Whoa, it's Ian?" Dan asked in surprise. "Dude, we haven't even seen you in forever!"

The old Ian nodded in a slight look of remorse.

"That's very true, I'm afraid, Daniel," the older Ian commented, and Dan shook his head.

"It''s _Dan_, Ian. When are you ever going to learn my name?" Dan said jokingly, and Amy and Atticus smiled with him. Ian stopped to see if his older-self would smile, but his expression was, for the most part, unreadable.

"You know, Natalie used to call me that too," Dan said, but quickly realized that the normally harmless comment was not the best one to say at the moment. The older Ian nodded, but didn't look very sad.

_"What in the world?" _Ian thought, anger flashing through him._ "They all know bloody well that my sister is dead, and all they can to is joke about her?"_

Ian was about to either hop up and scream or get up and run away. This was not how he wanted it to be in the future. He didn't want everyone to forget about Natalie; she was important to him! How could they just…._disrespect_ her like that?

"Yeah, I really do miss Natalie," older Amy said, looking somberly down at her feet.

_"Well at least one of them has a lick of sense about them!" _Ian thought indignantly.

"Well, actually, that's why I'm here," said the older Ian, and Amy, Dan, and Atticus perked up. "It's about Natalie," Ian continued. "I'd like you to see something…"

But the young Ian had had enough. It was too much for his still-recovering heart to deal with, and even if the future Ian was all right with Natalie's death, he wouldn't be. Now the future seemed like a horrible place, and Ian wanted to go right back to his own time-period, back to where he could mourn in peace.

Ian got up from his crouched hiding space behind a bookshelf and prepared to leave. This was not at all what he had expected in the future. He took one last look at the four adults-including himself-and crept away as silently as his fuming heart would allow. He wanted to scream. But he had to keep himself under control until he had at least left the Cahill mansion. He wanted out of here.

"Ian? Can I come in?"

Ian spun around, believing the voice to be directed at him. "_Well, this is great_," Ian thought as he prepared to explain what he was doing in this time-period. He had a feeling deep down that he would be caught, but he hadn't had enough time to prepare an excuse.

But the voice wasn't talking to him. The old Ian spun around, apparently knowing he was the one being addressed.

"Natalie? Are you ready to come in?"

Ian had to crouch down once more behind the same bookshelf, diving out of the way just in time to see his older-self come sprinting into the room. Ian looked to where the adult Ian was staring. His heart stopped beating for a moment, and his breath caught abruptly.

Natalie Kabra was standing there, in the open Cahill front entrance, looking at the older Ian expectantly.

"I didn't know if you wanted me to come in yet," Natalie said, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, Ian got to hear his little sister's voice.

Only she wasn't really his little sister anymore. She was about the same age as Dan. She was beautiful. She still looked like the young Natalie Kabra Ian had spent so much time with, but was different. Ian couldn't help but stare; in an unbelieving, paralyzed in shock.

The older Ian replied, "Not a problem, Natalie. I just wanted to surprise them." He smiled a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon, took Natalie's hand, and led her over to the others.

"Surprise us?" asked Amy in obvious joy. "Natalie, we haven't seen you in forever either!"

"Yes, ever since Ian found out that you survived, we've been waiting to see you. I guess Ian just wanted some time with you to himself," Atticus added, grinning slightly shyly at Natalie.

"Well, I insisted that Ian take me to see you all, since I've been missing you," Natalie admitted, smiling. "I was in the hospital for a long time. But I'm so glad to see you all."

Then the adults embraced in a warm and happy-looking group hug, leaving the younger Ian to feel speechless. He wanted badly to hug his sister and join in the with happy reunited friends, but something-maybe the fabric of time and space-held him back. He knew he couldn't.

Then Ian was even more speechless when Natalie and the older Ian proceeded to reminisce about how Natalie had survived the Doomsday Device, made it to the hospital, and was stuck there for about a year and a half. And couldn't believe his ears. He had _seen_ Natalie die! This felt so unrealistic that he half excepted himself to wake up from his glorious dream and find himself back in a world where his family didn't exist. But Ian had the feeling creeping inside him that this was all true. Natalie was alive.

His heart was lifted whenever he saw or heard Natalie move around or talk. She was alive. Back with him. If that was all true, then Natalie would be alive in his time-period, right?

Ian knew it was true. The future was so lucky to have Natalie in it, but to have a future, the past had to happen first. Ian watched in delight as Natalie smiled at her adult older brother. Ian was shocked to find out the secret that sister; prim, popular, and wonderful Natalie, was alive. But even more great was his joy. His heart soared at the thought that Natalie was not dead, but was alive and breathing right in front of him.

Ian wanted badly to go back into his time-period again now, just to relive the happy moment and find out with the others that Natalie was alive. It was the dream come true Ian had been wishing for. He hadn't actually thought it would be granted.

And Ian decided in his heart-after all of his scheming, planning, and spying during his life-that this was the best secret in the whole world. And finally, Ian believed.


End file.
